It is useful to device manufacturers, and third parties that provide accessories for the devices produced by those manufacturers, to obtain information as to the manner in which the devices are used if the devices deviate from an expected operation. The device use information identifies how users use their devices. With this information, the device manufacturer or other party can determine what features are most important/frequently used and therefore design future devices or accessories with those features in mind. For instance, in the case of a digital camera, it would be useful to obtain information as to which camera modes (e.g., automatic mode, macro mode, night mode, etc.) are used most frequently. In such a case, the features and modes of future cameras could be improved, enhanced, or expanded. In addition, such use information is valuable from a marketing standpoint in that accessories that are most useful to such use can be produced and offered to the user for sale. To cite an example, if a night mode in which the shutter speed is reduced to allow collection of more light is popular, manufacturers or other parties could, for instance, market steadying devices, such as tripods, to camera users. Moreover, such information would be useful from a research and development standpoint in that such efforts can be focused on the most valued features or modes.
Device operation information includes, for example, information as to what errors occurred with device operation. With such information, the manufacturer or other party could, for instance, develop improved mechanisms and/or firmware for future devices as well as create replacement parts and/or firmware patches that prevent such errors from occurring in existing devices.
Currently, such information is collected, if at all, by polling device users or noting their complaints when the user contacts technical service representatives. More useful would be a system and method for collecting such information without affirmative action on the part of the device user and manual recordation of that information.